Kochi: With the Lok Sabha election nearing close, political parties are facing a huge challenge of distributing tickets and dealing with rebel candidates.
This phenomenon has been seen in the country since it gained independence and is a sign of a healthy democratic process.
The grand old party Congress has witnessed it from pre-independence era when Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose successfully contested against the official nominee suggested by Mahatma Gandhi in the party presidentship election.
The other day a meeting of the leaders of Congress’ Mysuru and Kodagu districts urged the state leadership to give tickets only to its loyal party workers from Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency, media reports said.
Citing All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Udaipur declaration in 2022, they said those who have less than five years of membership in the party should not be considered for candidature, the reports said.
Leaders like B J Vijaykumar, R Murthy, and Dharmaja Uthappa were among 150 office bearers in the two districts passed a resolution to stick to Udaipur declaration.
The meeting resolved to lodge a complaint against those who had unofficially declared themselves as candidates.
The meeting decided to authorise Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Ministers in charge of Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar districts to choose the right candidates.
The meeting comes in the wake of speculations making the rounds that people like neurologist Dr Shushrutha Gowda of Mysuru and former MUDA Chairman C Basave Gowda getting close to Rahul Gandhi to secure tickets.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra, is also being seen as a prospective candidate in the election.
Yathindra had made way for his father to contest from Varuna constituency in Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency.
There are reports that the party is favoring a nominee from Vokkaliga community Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. Party state spokesperson M Lakshmana and Mysuru District Congress Committee chief B J Vijaykumar are also ambitious for party ticket. The meeting, which was not attended by any elected MLAs, has put at stake the discipline in the party.
